Some Decision-Making Tips for Those of Us Constantly Over the Barrel.
Stuck on making a big decision? These tips can help.
Like many people, from time to time I have trouble making decisions. I’m not taking about tiny decisions like what clothes to wear today or what to eat for lunch, but big decisions that involve family members, friends, health, money, career, . . . the list goes on. Of course , the bigger the decision, the harder it gets.
To fight fire with fire, I decided to do a little online research on ways for better practicing the art of decision making. From that research I distilled this list of tips, which I found useful and I hope you will too. So, if you’re tired of the stomach churning and floor pacing that occasionally accompanies making those “big” decisions, here are a few proven tips to help you climb out of the valley of indecision and scale the peaks of confidence.
1. Trust your gut instinct.
First impressions, sometimes referred to as “gut instinct,” are your initial, visceral reactions or feelings about someone or something, based on your past experiences and personal values. While looks can be deceiving, your gut instinct is often your most valid and satisfying choice when it comes to a decision. Listen to and trust this inner voice of wisdom.
2. Collect all the information you can.
It’s really very simple: the more you know, the easier it is to decide. Therefore, research and dig deep to get the facts and figures. Read reviews and other sources you trust. Study the numbers and the metrics. Knowledge breeds confidence, and confidence leads to sound decision making.
3. Ask for help from people you trust.
Never feel like you have to go it alone. Everyone needs help from other people from time to time. Therefore, don’t hesitate to ask for decision-making assistance from someone whose judgment you respect.
4. Consider the consequences of putting off the decision, or not making the decision all.
Sometimes there’s much to gain by taking a cautious wait-and-see approach. If things aren’t crystal clear right now, it might be best to delay taking action until you feel they are. This isn’t a cop-out, it’s a prudent approach based on caution and careful consideration of what happens if you act in haste.
5. Find someone to play Devil’s Advocate.
If you’re leaning in one direction about a decision, but you’re still not fully decided, it can be very helpful, before you decide, to hear the other side of the story argued by a trusted Devil’s Advocate. Let that person try to persuade you into their line of thinking, then step back to evaluate how that argument stacks up against your favored position. The pros and cons can suddenly become evident and your decision becomes clearer.
6. Use the “Scoreboard” approach.
List all the decision parameters in rows. Then place the decision choices into columns, maybe “Decision A, Decision B’ and so forth. Assign an arbitrary point value for each parameter, say 10 points for essential to 1 point for minor or trivial. Fill in the columns with point values based on how you feel about each parameter for each decision choice and add up the totals at the bottom. The “winning decision” can be quickly determined.
7. Forget perfection.
A wise sage once said that the only places to find perfection in this world are in a blooming rose or a fully arched rainbow. Accept that your decisions will likely never be perfect. Whatever you decide, something will not be quite right. So forget being perfect and instead embrace the Japanese concept that imperfection is in fact a part of perfection. You’ll be a lot happier and a lot more at ease with your decision making.
8. Set a short deadline for decision making, and stick to it.
Few things are more wrenching than tossing around a decision for an indeterminable amount of time. Life is too short and your time is too valuable. Set a firm deadline for making the decision and don’t deviate from it.
9. Don’t second-guess yourself.
After you’ve carefully and thoughtfully made your decision, put your mind at ease that you made what you sincerely believe is the right choice and don’t look back. Remember, buyer’s remorse never got anyone anywhere.
So, those are 9 short but useful tips for honing your decision-making skills and approaching your next big decision with knowledge and confidence. If you have any ideas to add to the list, please let me know. I’m sure I’ll decide to use them.
